I am leaving for San Jose, CA  tomorrow morning for 3 days to sell my book. I will let you know how it goes…Jennifer Martino has graciously paved the way for my arrival giving out cards to competitors and spectators about my arrival to the competition for book signing and sales. It seems that Jennifer has been busy with her marketing in between competing! She has relayed to me that people are more aware of my book because of the wonderful reviews and the advertising. Yea!!!!  Furthermore, David DeCaprio has sent me glorious character discriptions from our days at the Skating Club of Boston! I have plenty to keep me entertained on my long flight to CA …I will write about my adventures when I  return.

8/30/09 So, I have returned and obviously I have  put some time in between my writtings… but I have been very busy with the development of LambieAnn as a prototype stuffed lamb ( who will beultimately marketed with my book, The Champion Behind the Champion) and teaching since returning from the ISI World Competition in San Jose, CA. There are only so many hours in the day to do it all…. If I xeroxed myself, I think there would be more time to accomplish what I would really like to be able to do.

Anyway, ISI Worlds were truly fun!!! I plan to incorporate events that they host, which I think are so beneficial to our sport/art. I think ISI has a great outlook on the development  and purpose of skating. Everybody cannot be a national or world champion, but they can be accomplished skater in their own right! That may be a tough concept for some, as I think there are many levels  of perception of accomplishment. The bottom line in my perception is whether the person has benefited from having learned something to some level of expertise in the art/sport of figure skating which will enrich their life or someone elses. 

I plan to precent an excerpt from the ISI  Competition in my next book. This was the first time I had the opportunity to experience an ISI Competition and I detected  and felt a a very positive overall atmosphere attached to the events. I liked that and was impressed!  The kids & parents seemed  quite happy and excited with their particpation in their chosen events. The kids were a joy to meet as they dropped  by my venue  to say hi to LambieAnn ( who was really “Christiana Lambie”.

 Now that I have finished the actual prototype of LambieAnn, she  is a reality! The kids who have met her love her and the adults chuckle . They are  getting a charge out of her! I am posting pictures shortly of my little LambieAnn that is the size of a three year old on skates. She is a hit! She is a diva! She took me 3 days to design and make from scratch, but she is now a real skating lamb as a result of my efforts! 

I will post LambieAnn’s picture and  also post the pictures of the cute kids from  the ISI World Competition… By the way, LambieAnn is on Twitter, but she is so busy, she rarely has time to let people know what she is up to. Sorry about that.

I am working on my next book about a little lamb named Wollard P. Warm, affectionately called “Woolie” when he is little. I am sure as he grows up, his friends will call him Wol or WW…who knows…I haven’t gotten that far yet. However, I am having a great time with the story because my students supply me with all sorts of info. I just need more hours in the day to draw and write. Teaching/coaching takes up a lot of my time…as there is a lot of behind the scene work, like driving to and from the rink when one doesn’t live next door! Anyway,aside from my real job as a coach, Wollard’s story and illustrations are coming together. I told the students in my skater’s ballet class that I have figured out the story’s ending in my head…but I am not telling. You will all have to wait until it is published and I am not sure how quickly it will happen, but I am working on it.

Creativity takes time and it can’t be rushed. Sometimes the ideas just flow and other times, I just have to put the pencil down. I am familar with the process. Writing and illustrating is very much like choreographying a program on the ice…there are specific elements that must be included for it to work correctly.

Well, this is all I have until I know what event I will be selling and signing my book at….

I have had wonderful comments from people who have purchased my book…it is encouraging to know that people of all ages and I mean all ages have very positive responses to make. I equate my book to something like a kids movie, an animated movie like “Ice Age.” There is something in the movie for every age depending on the age of the person viewing the movie. So, the same applies to my book. It is written at 5th gade level, but I have seen 1st graders read my book. I have had grandparents enjoy it, parents, skaters, non skaters, different age levels enjoy it.  I have even seen people who can’t speak english or read english enjoy my book . The illustrations tell the story. So, it’s basically a book for everybody to enjoy and pull whatever you want from it!

So, here are a few comments from my readers…

My former neighbor from childhood, who is a great grandmother to three, purchased three books. Here is her note:

 Dear Barb,

Your book is terrific! Please write some others. My Massachusetts kids loved their copies.

Your creativity plus the good healthy principles which you laid out in “The Champion Behind the Champion” makes this book valuable for all sports. Horray!!

Love and Sincerity,

Arlene Carter

Arlene is a retired high school physical education teacher and still plays tennis in her 80’s!

Here’s one from an very accomplished skater, who is a long time childhood friend of mine, Lee.

  He writes: “I was in Cleveland for a day the first week in March and Gay (his sister) let me read yourbook. Very nice, well done! The illustrations are great…but how come LambieAnn doesn’t have a skating boy friend?”

I told him he would have to wait for a while…LambieAnn is a very busy girl!

Another friend, who is a skating judge wrote: LambieAnn is adorable and the book is well written and and beautifully illustrated.”

She must have especially loved the judges outfits. I will have to ask her.

Another skater by the name of Pat wrote after receiving her book wrote…” It is so much better holding it and reading it then seeing it on the computer. ”

( I had sent a digital copy of my book to her to proof read) 

She goes on to say, ” I must say I’m mighty impressed. The work that you put into it is staggering, yet I think, all in all, you did it very quickly once the idea jelled…BAM!!”

The answer is yes & no…

Pat is a friend from my high school days when I was training at the Skating Club of Boston. She has all sorts of creative ideas and is fun to bounce my creativity around with her.

One of my very favorite responses to my book came from a little 4 year old girl while selling my book at Worlds in Los Angeles, CA. The little girl was looking through my book and her father asked her if she liked the book. She looked up at him and said, “LOVE”  I said, “SOLD!”

All in all, I have received thumbs up from kids. I have hear.. Great Book, “Love it, way to go…when is the next one coming out?” I could go on…it is all very positive and fun for me!

So, as I always say… stay tuned…I’ll write more here when I have more time, but I have to end for now.